NEP Young Artist Competition Winners

Sophie Long Sha Tung | 2023 Young Artist Competition Winner
Jean Sibelius, Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Mvt. 1

Sophie Tung, 16, was born in Hong Kong and is currently an 11th-grader at Phillips Academy Andover. She started playing the violin at the age of five and is currently under the tutelage of Professor Lynn Chang at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Additionally, she has had the opportunity to study with Professor Peter Zazofsky, Beedarn Zhao, and Jing Wang.

During her time in Hong Kong, Sophie was a member of the St. Paul's Co-ed College Programme for the Musically Gifted and served as the concertmistress of the School Orchestra. For the past three consecutive years, Sophie has been selected as the solo performer with the Hong Kong Children’s Symphony Orchestra.

Sophie has achieved numerous accolades at local and international music festivals. Her achievements include receiving the first runner-up and the Best Virtuoso Award at the Italy Cremona International Music Festival, first prize at the Hong Kong Intercultural Young Musicians Competition (Diploma Grade), First Place Winner of the American Protégé International Music Talent Competition, and second prize at the Berliner International Music Competition, among others.

Sophie also has had the privilege of attending masterclasses with renowned violinists, including Lü Siqing, Zia Shin, Jing Wang, James Buswell, Dr. Solomiya Ivakhiv, and Xiaoyu Yang. 

Looking ahead, Sophie aspires to discover her personal musical style while performing for a broader audience worldwide.

Henry Tushman | 2023 Young Artist Competition Winner
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, 1st movement

Henry Tushman, 17, studies piano with Dr. Sandra Hebert at the Rivers School Conservatory, where he won the 2022 Director’s Award. Henry is a member of the A. Ramón Rivera Senior Piano Seminar at NEC Prep and has attended Cremona International Music Academy in Italy for six summers. In the summer of 2023, Henry represented the U.S. in Poland, performing with the Tarnὀw Chamber Orchestra as an invited soloist in the “Ambassador of Tarnὀw Maestro Krystian Tkaczewski and his Guests” International Piano Festival. He previously soloed with orchestras in Italy and Massachusetts as well as in Ganz Hall in Chicago conducted by Conner Gray Covington, Associate Conductor of the Utah Symphony.

Henry has been the Massachusetts State winner of the MTNA Senior Piano Competition, and was awarded Honorable Mention in the Boston Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. He has performed at the Harvard Musical Association as well as at the Music International Grand Prix in Merkin Hall, NYC. Henry was the first prize winner of both high school divisions of The American Prize, solo and concerto, winning the Lorin Hollander Award. He has also won first prize in competitions including Steinway Society of Massachusetts, Society of American Musicians, Young Musicians Inspiring Change, Bradshaw & Buono, MMTA Bay State, National League of Performing Arts, and the International Franz Liszt Center Piano Competition. Henry has performed in Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall and Bozar Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels. Henry has worked with contemporary composers Andrew List, Amy Reich, and Whitman Brown - and on two occasions, premiered pieces written expressly for him. He has performed in the master classes of Victor Rosenbaum, Alexander Korsantia, and Roberto Plano, among others. Henry is a junior at Wellesley High School where, outside of piano, he enjoys playing soccer and singing in the Wellesley High School Keynote Singers.

Ayaan Ahmad | 2022 Young Artist Competition Winner
Jean Sibelius, Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Mvt. 1

Ayaan Ahmad is a 16-year-old Bangladeshi-American violinist from Sharon, Massachusetts. He began studying the violin at the age of four with Daniela Rubenstein. and continued his studies with Jan Mark Sloman of the Cleveland Institute of Music and Ryan Meehan of the Calidore String Quartet. In 2015, Ayaan won 1st Prize at MMTA’s Bay State Competition. In November of 2020, he won 3rd prize in the senior division of the 2020 Sejong Virtual Music Competition, and the award for best interpretation of Korean music. In November of 2021 Ayaan won the 2nd prize in the same competition. In 2022, Ayaan won the Ehlers Young Artist Concerto Competition and made his orchestral debut at the age of 15 with the Concord Orchestra, playing the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Outside of playing the violin, Ayaan enjoys playing the guitar, ultimate frisbee, and is passionate about math and history.

Olivia Lee | 2022 Young Artist Competition Winner
Claude Debussy, Danses Sacrée et Profane

Olivia Sunim Lee, age 16, is from Boston, Massachusetts and has studied the harp for eight years with Krysten Keches. She won first prize in the American Harp Society’s National Competition (Junior Division) in 2019 and second prize at the Young Artist’s Harp Seminar Competition (Preparatory Division) in 2018. She is also a first prize winner of the 2022 Charleston International Music Competition (18th Century Music division). In 2020, Olivia performed solo on National Public Radio’s “From The Top” at Jordan Hall. An avid orchestral musician, Olivia performs as the principal harpist with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras and plays with the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Olivia is currently a sophomore at Buckingham Brown & Nichols School.

Ella J. Kim | 2021 Young Artist Competition Winner
Camille Saint-Saëns, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor

Ella J. Kim, age 16, is excited and honored to perform as soloist with the New England Philharmonic as the winner of the NEP 2021 Young Artist Competition. Ella began learning the violin at age five, quickly developing a love for music. She has won top prizes in numerous competitions, most recently having been selected as Grand Prize Winner of the Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition, leading to a solo performance with the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall. Ella also won top prizes at the American Protégé International Concerto Competition (Judge’s Top Prize and First Prize), leading to a solo performance at Carnegie Hall; Rivers Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, resulting in a solo performance with the Philharmonia Orchestra; Arlington Philharmonic Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition, for which she was invited as soloist with the orchestra; and the Roman Totenberg Young Strings State Competition. She has also received the Rivers Conservatory String Department Prize, and she has been selected as one of the top violinists in the nation to perform for the All-National Honors Orchestra.

Ella has served as concertmaster of the Weston High School orchestras, Boston Youth Symphony senior orchestra, Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) Eastern Junior and Senior District Orchestras, and the MMEA All-State Orchestra. She enjoys giving back to her community as a musical volunteer for Continuo Boston, Weston elementary schools, Weston Brook Apartments, and Newton-Wellesley Hospital. At the start of the pandemic, Ella organized her fellow student musicians in a virtual fundraising concert to benefit families in need. She is a former student of Magdalena Richter and she currently studies with Peter Zazofsky. Ella, an eleventh grader at Weston High School, enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as playing tennis.

Fionn O’Connor | 2019 Young Artist Competition Winner
Edward Elgar, Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, 4th mvt.

Fionn O’Connor is 17 years old and currently a Senior at Newton South High School in Newton, MA.

Fionn began playing cello at the age of five. He currently studies with Eugene Kim at the New England Conservatory Prep. Previous teachers include Ashima Scripp and Deborah Thomson. During the summer of 2019, Fionn studied under Steven Doane and Paul Katz at the Bowdoin International Music Festival.

Fionn has served as principal cellist in the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras and as a member of the Massachusetts All-State and Northeastern district orchestras. He currently plays with the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School.

Luke Henderson | 2018 Young Artist Competition Winner
Felix Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64, 1st mvt.

Keila Wakao | 2017 Young Artist Competition Winner
Pablo de Sarasate, “Zigeunerweisen” (Gypsy Airs), Op. 20

Khoi Le | 2016 Young Artist Competition Winner
Camille Saint-Saëns, Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22

Amir Siraj | 2015 Young Artist Competition Winner
Franz Liszt, Piano Concerto No. 1

Austin Kwoun | 2014 Young Artist Competition Winner
Dmitri Shostakovich, Violin Concerto No. 1

Sammy Andonian | 2013 Young Artist Competition Winner
Felix Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto in E minor

Ilana Zaks | 2012 Young Artist Competition Winner
Pablo de Sarasate, Carmen Fantasy

Zlatomir Fung | 2011 Young Artist Competition Winner
Franz Joseph Haydn, Cello Concerto in D Major

Mackenzie Melemed | 2010 Young Artist Competition Winner
Sergei Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 1

Jaclyn Freshman | 2009 Young Artist Competition Winner
Maurice Ravel, Tzigane, Rapsodie de Concert

Bobby Chen | 2008 Young Artist Competition Winner
Dmitri Shostakovich, Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat

Daisy Joo | 2007 Young Artist Competition Winner
Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto in D Major

Julia Noone | 2006 Young Artist Competition Winner
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Violin Concerto

Jung Eun Yoon | 2005 Young Artist Competition Winner
Sergei Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3

Larry Weng | 2004 Young Artist Competition Winner
Maurice Ravel, Piano Concerto in G Major

Jacqueline Choi | 2003 Young Artist Competition Winner
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme

Luis F. Ortiz | 2002 Young Artist Competition Winner
Frederic Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor

Lisa Rah | 2001 Young Artist Competition Winner
Franz Listz, Totentanz

Bronika Kushkuley | 2000 Young Artist Competition Winner
J. S. Bach, Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052

Young Artist Competition winner bios are up to date as of the year they performed with the NEP.